stepping closer to the gr

oached the group by the fire, his stubby fingers twining in and out of his unke

dvancing figure stopped. "I didn't know you was to com

ht skeered of the dark

ome on up an'

igh carefully for a m

e

ght pert mul

ging Oliver in the ribs with an elbow. "W

reach of a mule. Seein' the mule's got only a few feet of play in his laigs, he oug

boys from New York, my old home! The

untains, too!" Buck l

, but I've had a real pleasant time with the boys. I'm much obliged to you, lads,"

kled, "f'r while you was gone a message come from M

ou mean to tell me, Buck, that the boy is

reply, "an' a bright

Oliver. "Is the kid in the cabin Mike III.,

!" the boy wh

?" asked Frank. "We all want to see him. His

walk for a little o

im," Mrs. Brady said. "I'd be proud to

?" asked Oliver. "I'm curious to

t!" Frank

in. "I always liked kids-from Washington! No

alone, if I were you,

d people come into th

l leave

main here. In a short time the two out in the hills will return, and

ay here, it will be me! Come to think of it, I'm too b

orn out up to my knees now, climbing mountains. And,

. "That leaves Frank an

ome, put them to b

"for Jimmie going to bed without supper will be a

"I'm afraid something is wrong with them.

nk, in a moment. "Well, they may have seen that, too, and taken a notion t

" he added. "There may have been some one in serious trouble down there. I hope the boys did go-that is, i

dy by her son in Washington, and after Buck had been given a couple of c

bin?" asked Jack of his chum, as they nestled down b

ree whoops and a hol

u know what he

said, that the boys won't feel like walking back up the mountain t

e road?" laughed Oliver. "That kid down there is just as much

s!" yawn

send him over h

" with ano

ild up another fire, to serve as a sort of l

ap of blankets, drew off his coat and shoes and st

k over the valley. The moon was rising now, and he could see the four who had

ng ledge of rock, he saw a faint light, as from

. "If I thought I could make Uncle Ike behave himself

er and he moved downward toward the fire. He was thinking of the B

ck would go dow

land of dreams, and he decided not to a

with a lump of sugar. The mule thanked him with wiggling ears

you do a good job traveling up and down the mountainside, yo

nd. Uncle Ike, thinking his day's work finished, objected to being put into harness again

ow, you fool m

on pressing the slope toward the campfire. Oliver struck t

embers left, and no signs of the fires which had sent up the two columns of smoke! There

came to a second fire. This, too, was burned down low. Beyond

stumbled over something which rolled under his foot and nearly fell to the ground. When he stoo

s was taken from them, or whether they lost it, or whether it was pla

moment, for a voice which he

eh? Give

whispere

immie whispered, "and bring the electric in w

overed as he entered it. To his surprise he found three

es?" asked Jimmi

d. Why didn't y

inging the other forward. "His name is Dode Surratt, and he's a bol

," Oliver replied. "Wher

They are turning out silver dollars faster than we can spend them. W

ight came up into the cave, and the boy's eyes followed it. He could see a squar

it money, are the

when you came. Dode wants to go with us, but we tell him to rem

e some remark, but

ey?" he asked. "They stole you, didn't they? They brought yo

for making the signa

t now!" he added. "So